Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, May 30, 2023

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HAWAI'I-PHILIPPINES BUSINESS ECONOMIC COUNCIL reminds local farms, ranches and businesses of the workforce available from the Philippines. It will host an online session on June 7 at 4 p.m. Hawaiian time and June 8 at 10 a.m. Philippines time. It's called Workforce Recruitment Trends: How Filipinos Continue to Support the World's Labor Pool. The Council invites people to "Learn how the Filipino Diaspora came about—how a Philippine company found the right talents for global needs." It also invites listeners to learn how the Hawai'i state Department of Education has recruited Filipinos to work in Hawai'i's schools. Panelists include:
    Bennette Misalucha, Executive Director of Hawai’i’s Workforce Development Council and former state Senator. She has held executive positions in banking, marketing, public policy and community outreach sectors, often pioneering roles for women and minorities which have brought her several awards and distinction. Her work experiences include VP and Regional Director for Government & Community Relations for Actus Lend Lease, LLC, and Senior Vice President at Central Pacific Bank. Early in her

career, Misalucha was a television reporter and news producer, in Hawai’i at KHON Channel 2 News and the Philippines.
    James Urbaniak, Lead Teacher Recruiter for the Hawai’i state Department of Education. He attended Rutgers University for his undergraduate and graduate education and moved to Hawai'i in 2007 to teach middle school English. Following several years in the classroom becoming a union organizer HSTA teachers union, he transitioned to teacher recruitment and now oversees the hiring of all public-school teachers statewide. Urbaniak says he is passionate about international teacher recruitment and leads the J-1 Visa Program with Department of State Visa Sponsor Alliance Abroad Group, Inc and Foreign Cultural Exchange Consultants Inc. to recruit teachers from the Philippines    Winnie Ferrer, a public relations consultant with PARMAN INC. a Philippine-based workforce recruiter that has sent 30,000+ Filipino workers to all corners of the world to operate cranes build bridges, dig wells, and maintain power plants--from oil rigs to hotels, skyscrapers to naval facilities. Since its inception in the 1970s the company has found the right Filipino talent to fit global needs and fomented the Filipino Diaspora. This company is a family-run business founded by her dad, Juanito N. Ferrer, a retired colonel. Ferrer began his career as Baguio’s City Engineer in 1950 and went on to become the Secretary for Public Works under the Aquino administration.
    Tim Mobley, President of Connext Global Solutions, a business process outsourcing firm. Connext was established in 2014 to address specific pain points experienced in the traditional outsourcing model. The company has grown from a local business services provider to a booming global enterprise with a growth rate exceeding 80%. Since 2019, it has doubled its growth and now support middle-market companies across the US and Europe. Its support centers are located at Angeles & Davao in the Philippines. Mobley graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point, with an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

    Register for the zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsf-CtrD8pEt1gveT6STrEvDFQYETajGYo#/registration. See more on Hawai'i Philippines Business Council at hpbec.com.

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